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CartShark signs off, for now. Here is a last list of worthwhile shopping sites

Dear CartShark Readers: I�d like to think the Inland Northwest is home to some of the savviest online consumers anywhere. Which makes this, my final CartShark column, that much easier to write. ( Full post )

The drum roll review of worthwhile and useful consumer sites

Charities tap into online shopping

By Amy
Imagine a shopping mall contributing a portion of every sale to a charitable cause. When it comes to shopping online, it�s not as far-fetched as you might think. ( Full post )

Discounts and coupons galore, available in your inbox or search engine

Everyone knows the economy is in turmoil, but apparently it�s much worse than I thought: Right now, in another window on my computer screen, the �SEND UPDATES AND SPECIAL PROMOTIONS� box on the registration page of a site offering a coupon for chardonnay has been checked � by me.

Signing up for e-mail alerts from people selling stuff is humbling enough, but given my near-fanatical devotion to Gewurztraminer, this previously unthinkable scenario suggests a level of desperation I can only assume is nationwide. ( Full post )

The Talk Market: A DIY Approach to Online Commercials

The bedroom is dimly lit, with walls painted a deep orange. A hand-held camera pans across the interior, revealing a muscle-bound man in a tight T-shirt perched on the edge of a bed. The glow from a television flickers across his face. ( Full post )

Coolspotters: Shop like a rock star

Sure, hip-hop CEO Jay-Z makes the big bucks shilling HP Notebooks on TV � but in the wild, he�s been spotted using a MacBook. Actress Kate Walsh hints at the sexual gratification she gets from her Cadillac CTS in commercials, but in the real world she�s often seen driving a decidedly un-erotic Range Rover. ( Full post )

An eBay killer? Online matchmaker Wigix wants a piece of the buyer-seller business

There is something about eBay that inspires a deep and visceral hatred among a rising tide of online buyers and sellers. ( Full post )

MasterCard of disguise: Online shoppers use virtual account numbers to mask personal financial data

For those who think their credit card is a lucrative target for online hackers, think again. With a glut of stolen personal information available on the underground market, competition among identity crooks is causing prices for such data to plummet, according to a study released this month by security software giant Symantec.

While this may help online shopaholics sleep better at night, keep in mind that the surplus of stolen data exists because cyberfraud is on the rise. Although the banks are getting better at quickly cutting off compromised accounts, Symantec found the number of cyber attacks increased five-fold last year, suggesting the average American with even a low-limit credit card is vulnerable when shopping the Web.

Most reputable online retailers encrypt credit card transactions to protect against hackers, but security lapses can penetrate even the most ironclad systems. ( Full post )

Mindless tasks or making money. The world of social networking gives you ways to do both

COME ON, ADMIT IT: You spend a shameful amount of time online updating your Facebook and MySpace profiles, checking messages, writing reviews, loading pictures and generally engaging in other time-sucking tasks that cost your boss millions each year in lost productivity. ( Full post )

Safe products? Don't buy until you do your Web research

Cart Shark is a regular column about online consumer safety and smart Web shopping. To reach Amy Klamper, e-mail her at aklamper@googlemail.com. ( Full post )